Tom Henning Ovrebo, referee for Chelsea's 2009 Champions League semi-final
against Barcelona, has said he still gets death threats for the mistakes he
made which denied Guus Hiddink's side a place in the final.

Caught up in controversy: Tom Henning Ovrebo still receives death threats for mistakes he made during Chelsea's semi-final with Barcelona in 2009Photo: EPA

By Telegraph staff

8:56AM BST 18 Apr 2012

The Norwegian official, who has retired from the international game, turned down four penalty claims during the second-leg tie at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea lost on away goals courtesy of Andres Iniesta's injury-time strike.

"I still get a few death threats but they go straight into the garbage box," Ovrebo told The Times.

"I don't take them seriously although sometimes I wonder about the people who send them. Just yesterday I got an email from a Chelsea fan saying he wanted to kill me and my family."

Ovrebo, who is now a psychologist, admits his performance in the semi-final three years ago was poor. "Everyone who knows the laws of the game knows I should have done things differently, but that's the life of a referee," he said.

Didier Drogba and other Chelsea players accused the official of a conspiracy to elimate them. The striker harrangued the ref on the pitch for his decisions and was banned for four matches - later reduced to three - for confronting Ovrebo at the final whistle.